Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-05-04
The Sacred Mountain Traditions and
SuperstifiOnS.
[Correspondenee of the Alexandria Gazette.!

SuperstifiOnS.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette
AslAcAalECA, Mexico, April %, 1851
This little town is located about fly miles
southeast of the City of Mexico. and abou
fifteen miles from the Mount Popocatepetl
1t was founded but few years after The
conquest, and hes now about six thousand
inhabitants. Everything here is decidedly
ancient, and being located in the terra
calieptes, or hot lands, there is but little
use for much shelter or extra clothing
hence we find many of the frail habitation!
built Of cane and corn stalk walls, with ar
Dor or brush roofs. Others built O.
adobe and covered with thatch maguey, OF
palm leaves, while the finest in the city are
built of solid masonry and covered with
| concrete roofs, which are completely fire and
water proof; YET many of the latter are con.
structed with slope roofs and rafters anc
covered with homemade shingles. These
are kept in place by means of weight poles
| tied down with raw hides, and the ratters
are kept in place by the same means. In
others there is hole burned or bored
through shingle aud sheeting and pin
| driven in and wedged above and below
when real neat job is desired to be done.
| Thus the people seem not to have learned
the use of nails yet. In the houses we rare
iy see any other than q dirt floor with wood
en- stools for chairs, bull-rush mat for q
bed on the ground floor and goat skin bags
| for bottles, gourds ard cocoanut shells for
glasses, wooden spoons and forks, and earth.
/ en- ware for pots. pans and plates The
ttreets of the city are narrow, but sufficient
" wide for all the commerce Of the place.
Most oI the population go bare-footed or
wear sandals, and on the whole we find
them clean, very polite and rather accom-
modatng. Their cleanliness is, perhaps,
| owing 10 the fact that in the centre Of al
most every street there is a clear, cool
stream of flowing water direct from the
snowy mountains, and this alone is the sal
vation of the place, as they are without rain
| for six months in the year. Many of the
| houses are white-washed, and being without
front yards or windows and nearly all join
ed the streets appear like narrow lanes be-
tween two white walls. There are some
beautilrI little gardens here, where the peo'
pie raise about enough to support them
| selves.
As we rambled in the suburbs we found
wooden forks and reap hooks used in the
hay fields. if an acre OF grass might be
called u field All this hay is taken TO
market on the backs Of mules, Indians and
donkeys. Wood, stone, corn, sheep, goats
and hogs are shipped III the same way. The
method ofshippiDg live stock is to put one
ON each side of the burro and one OF top;
then tie the whole securely, and set cut for
| the market In hauling heavy timber or
lumber, one end is tied to the pack saddle
and the other end is trailed on the ground.
The city is nearly three hundred and sew
eutv.iiv years old, and of course is rlch IN
tradition and superstition, and being desir-
ious to learn something of it, secured o
guide and ascended the sacred Noun
tain,'' at the foot OF which / saw large
cockpit. and close by an extensive bull
ring. both of which absorb everything else
in the way of business on Sunday. Even
the church services are postponed that all
may attend these barbarous entertainments;
but this is easily explained when we learn
that the fight was gotten up for the benefit
of the Holy Church of the Sacred Blood OF
Jesus; so the means are supposed to justify
| the ends and ell are supposed to be doing
Gods service by going. Leaving these we
enter long paved paseo, or walk, that
leads to the summit of the Sacred Noun
tain. Along the way there are number
of stations represented by beautiful stone
pillars on the face of which there
are Spanish inscriptions telling OF
the sacredness Of that very spot,
and then follows short prayer,
which the faithful are supposed to repeat.
| The first OF these stations informs the visl'
tor that this is the Every spot where the
Saviour received his cross in the ascent up
the sacred mount, on top Of which he was
cruciied. Next we see the Every spot'
where he fell beneath its weight the first,
second and third times. Next we are
shown where He was struck, then
crowned with thorns and finally the
spot where He was crucifed and placed
in the sepulchre The latter is in the
church on the summit and is placed IN the
centre of the altaI. There is the body as
when taken from the cross, covered with
blood and gashed with cuts and wounds:
from which the blood is falling in great
drops. There are two beautiful! cherups
guarding the body in the sepulchre;, wnlle
| the canopy is hung round about with goio
and tinseI ornaments. and the Wnole is Ilneu
with pure white linen. This image Is "or,
shiped with the most fervent devotion, ano
! is said TO have power to. and has, performed
unnumbered miracles, many of which are
testified to by the small paintings Oh the
walls of the church, giving the scene OF the
miracle, with name, place and date o1 IL
performance. Under one of these churche;
there is a dark cave, where the remains o
saint are said to be deposited. The corpse
may yet be seen, andi too has power to worh
/ wonders, and receives many gifts OF relic!
and flowers. And any one who will entel
the cave and rub the body with these How
era will thereby receive cure for any dls
ease. rest their weary limbs, and will iurthe
secure to the pilgrim safe return nome
without money; and in one Of the published